Klarinet Archive - Posting 000505.txt from 1997/10

From: "Bill Edinger,Anna Gilman, and Grace Edinger" <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: music education in Calif.
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 19:54:53 -0400

When I described the situation in this part of California (Fresno), I
didn't mean to impugn the skills of the music teachers! I think both
the school band director and my daughter's private teacher (who also
teaches in another school) are great, and deserve a lot of credit for
doing a herculean feat with minimal support. By the way, it isn't the
Fresno school system, but a neighboring system which includes the more
affluent parts of Fresno. If most of these people can afford BMWs,
Mercedes, and Lexuses, plus their SUVs (I drive a '92 Escort, by the
way), why are there 35 kids in a class and no instrumental instruction
for the sixth graders? I think we already know the answer.

Some people wrote me to defend the Rubank series, which I too grew up
with, but it hasn't changed in sixty years - my daughter's brand new
copy includes a fingering chart with a drawing of a metal Boehm system
clarinet on one side, and an ALBERT SYSTEM fingering chart on the
other! It's dated 1933. Yeah, it's worked for a lot of people who
became fine players later, but correlation is not causation, and it's
still boring, boring, boring. Her teacher, fortunately, was wise enough
to include a supplementary melodic tunes book by Rubank (also ca. the
1930s), which is a very good idea for anyone who wants to maintain
interest by the young player. Of course, there are no Spice Girls
pieces in it.

Thanks to all for the responses,

Bill E.